This invention relates to an inflatable pillow. More particularly, it relates to an inflatable pillow incorporating a water compartment that can either be used over the back of a chair, or can be used in a tub in the bath or at a spa.
An inflatable beach pillow having a pocket adapted to be filled with sand and having straps to attach it to a chair is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,154 issued Mar. 28, 1989 to Grimes. The Grimes patent uses sand as a weighting material and therefore would be of limited use in a swimming pool where there is no sand.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,116 issued Apr. 17, 2001 to Sloot discloses an inflexible pillow attached to a pocket-shaped slipcover designed to fit over the back of a chair, but having no means to use it as a weighted beach pillow.
My U.S. Pat. No. 6,684,429 issued Feb. 3, 2004 describes a beach pillow with an inflatable air compartment and a fillable water compartment on a flexible base sheet. The base sheet and sheet or sheets forming the compartments can be either permanently or temporarily connected on their sides to form a pocket. The pocket can be slipped over the back of the chair to allow the inflatable pillow to serve as a head rest. However, the pillow is not easily used in a tub or at the spa, because the walls of the tub are inclined and there is no means to hold it in place. If the pillow is used on a smooth surface, where there is high wind or on a moving object, such as the deck or bow of a boat, there is danger of it blowing away, even when the water compartment is used to add weight.
It would be desirable to extend the use of such an inflatable pillow so that it can serve as a headrest while using a tub in a bath or spa or on smooth surfaces in windy locations.
It would also be desirable to allow the user to adjust the cushioning effect of an inflatable pillow having both a water compartment and an air compartment when such a pillow is used in a tub or on the bow of a moving boat.
It would also be desirable to be able to adjust the temperature of the pillow by adding water of a desired temperature.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide an improved inflatable pillow that can be used either over the back of a chair or on smooth surfaces, such as a tub, or in a spa, or on the deck or bow of a boat.
Another object of the invention is to enhance the performance of an inflatable pillow especially adapted for use in a tub or at a spa by adding a water compartment for adjustable support and temperature control.